Health Foundation response to the Conservative election manifesto Conservative cuts to benefits will worsen health, says Health Foundation

Responding to the publication today of the Conservative party manifesto, Dr Jennifer Dixon, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation, said: 

‘The Conservative manifesto is an ambitious wish-list, but it’s hard to have confidence in delivery when there is so little detail on how the plans will be achieved. 

‘Economic growth is being held back by record numbers of people reporting long term health conditions that keep them out of the workforce. Yet this manifesto offers nothing to get people back into work or improve their health, while deep cuts to benefits will simply drive more people into poverty and worse health. 

‘Pledges to tackle the NHS waiting times and shift more care out of hospitals are welcome but there is little detail on funding or action to achieve this. Evidence suggests that the NHS needs more, not less management. So cutting over 5,000 managers and offering hardly any new investment in the buildings, equipment and technology to deliver these improvements or tackle the NHS’s productivity challenge is not credible. Over the last decade, the UK would have needed to invest an additional £33bn in capital to have matched EU levels of investment.